


In somno veritas (In sleep lies the truth)

by lawsofchaos



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood is the Nice Thing That Magnus Deserves, Big Brothers, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Jace Wayland is a Lightwood, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, No beta we die like mne, Protective Alec Lightwood, Sleepy Shadowhunters, Soft Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2020-04-12 00:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19121197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lawsofchaos/pseuds/lawsofchaos
Summary: Jace blinks, peering at the loft in vague stupefaction. “This,” and Alec’s parabatai’s voice sounds like he’s dragging each noise out from his exhausted mind and forcing it out before he can forget what word he just discovered. “Isn’t the Institute?” The final phrase comes out as a question.Alec tilts his head in puzzlement, glancing at his brother as if wondering how he could possibly consider that Alec had taken them there instead of here. “No?”Alec’s head moves back to level and he narrows his eyes instead. “We said we were goinghomeafter patrol.”The ‘ergo, we arehomenow’ wasn’t said, but it was obvious in implication.





	1. The Night Before the Morning After

“Are you still pining and missing your Shadowhunter?” Raphael questions, sipping at the warm blood in his mug.

 

Magnus snorts in combined acknowledgement and answer. “I don’t think I’ve seen Alec more than two hours at a time in over a month.”

 

“Has the demon activity really been that high?” Catarina asks, surprised, as she nibbles on the last bites of her tofu Pad Thai.

 

Magnus sighs, twirling his chopsticks idly over his empty plate. “There’s been almost a doubling in reported demonic events since the last full moon."

 

Catarina raises a brow. Fluctuations in demon activity are relatively common around lunar cycles, but a doubling, and a _sustained_ doubling at that, is certainly unusual.

 

Magnus shrugs in concession at the oddity - he doesn't have a theory either. "Alec's increased the Institute’s patrols as much as physically possible with the staff he has access to, but Idris won't even send him temporary aid unless the current activity lasts for another three weeks. He’s already placed some of the younger Shadowhunters training in New York as thirds with his more experienced pairs, and Alec _hates_ putting any of his trainees in the field. That's been letting him stretch out the roster some at least, but there’s still only so much that so many Shadowhunters can do." 

 

Magnus droops a little, and if there's anything odd about the High Warlock of Brooklyn being so well informed about the goings on of the local Institute, certainly no-one at _this_ table is going to mention it. "Alec’s been back in the field on patrol with one of his teams every night since this started, and between that _and_ his usual Head’s duties?”

 

“You’re lucky if you see him for coffee and a kiss each day?”

 

Magnus smiles at Catarina and nods wryly. Her ER schedule is sometimes just as crazy for days, although usually not weeks, at a time.

 

After a moment of contemplative silence, Magnus stands up and flicks his fingers to put away the empty dishes and clear the table, smiling at Cat and Raphael in obvious attempt to change the mood.

 

“Shall we abscond to the living room for some after dinner drinks and laughter?”

 

“That certainly sounds like a pleasant way to while away the evening, especially since I managed to get Madzie’s babysitter for another four hours. Can we expect to see Alec at all tonight?”

 

“Alas, no,” Magnus sighs as he moves to his bar cart to begin making two martinis and a Bloody Mary. “Alec is going on patrol with Jace and Isabelle tonight, and he mentioned it was fairly likely that Max would wheedle his way into going out with them too. I imagine they’ll return to the Institute this evening, especially if their patrol continues as late as has been the norm recently.”

 

Raphael took his drink with a smirk. “Don’t look so dejected that you’re left with only _our_ company then.”

 

—————

 

A few drinks and several embarrassing stories later, Magnus sits up hurriedly as the wards ping an unusual rhythm at his senses.

 

“Magnus?” Catarina asks warily, recognizing the specific inward-turned gaze of a warlock focused on their wards.

 

“Alec is home,” Magnus starts, bemused.

 

The door to the loft opens before Magnus can continue and the occupants of the living room sit up, startled, as four weary Shadowhunters tumble dazedly through the entrance. Alec comes through first with his siblings following closely at his heels, ichor and blood dripping from clothes and weapons alike.

 

Jace and Izzy have their arms over each other’s shoulders, and it’s unclear which one is supporting the other as they drunkenly sway left to right before jerking to a bleary stop just when it appears Izzy is about to over balance and take them both down to the floor. Magnus is rather inclined to believe the balance issue is likely not helped by the fact that both their eyes are drooping heavily shut. Drooping enough, in fact, Magnus suspects Jace is following Alec mostly by bond-feel rather than sight and Izzy is just sticking with (and to) Jace.

 

Max is trailing behind the other three and is clearly upright through sheer determination and teenage stubbornness alone. His glassy gaze is locked firmly on the back of the Jace-Izzy pair and his head is following their swaying back and forth like they’re a hypnotist’s pendulum.  

 

Alec himself is trying (unsuccessfully) to force back a yawn even with the edges of two burned out stamina runes peeking out from the edge of his jacket collar. He blinks, seemingly perplexed, when he opens his eyes post-yawn and sees the group of nonplussed Downworlders in Magnus’s living room gaping in their direction, drinks forgotten in their hands. Alec shakes his head a bit, bringing a glimmer of focus back to his actions as he turns his attention back to his siblings, clearly deciding to mark whatever else is happening in the loft as unimportant for now.

 

None of Alec’s family has made any forward progress towards movement in the meantime, although the Jace-Izzy pair has managed to prop themselves up somewhat neatly against a high side-table under the jacket hooks by the door, Jace clutching the walnut surface in a vaguely distrustful manner that suggests he suspects the table may spontaneously animate and dump Jace-Izzy on the ground if he grips it any looser. Max’s eyes are now fully closed, although he, at least, is still independently upright.

 

Alec surveys the motley trio in dismay and crosses his arms against his chest, making a definitively displeased noise that his siblings appear to be both familiar with and wary of if the sudden coming to attention is any hint. Jace-Izzy pulls away from their table, stumbling briefly in a very un-Shadowhunter like manner until they tighten their overlapped arms even further and straighten up sharply, blinking suddenly at their surroundings in obvious surprise. Max jerks into a hauntingly familiar parade-rest, so like his oldest brother that something twinges in Magnus’s chest, although the littlest Lightwood’s eyes don’t quite open all the way.

 

As imperiously as one can manage whilst having trouble getting his gaze to focus, Alec gestures sharply at the empty weapons racks and the shielded box that Magnus had made months ago for Alec to dump any ichor contaminated clothing in after patrols until he was ready to deal with it.

 

Jace-Izzy sways in confusion, turning their gazes from Alec to the weapons area. Once. Then twice. Max lets out what Magnus would generously describe as a soft snore, but he doesn’t budge from parade rest.

 

Jace blinks, peering at the loft in vague stupefaction. “This,” and Alec’s parabatai’s voice sounds like he’s dragging each noise out from his exhausted mind and forcing it out before he can forget what word he just discovered. “Isn’t the Institute?” The final phrase comes out as a question.

 

Alec tilts his head in puzzlement, glancing at his brother as if wondering how he could possibly consider that Alec had taken them there instead of here. “No?”

 

Alec’s head moves back to level and he narrows his eyes instead. “We said we were going _home_ after patrol.”

 

The ‘ _ergo,_ we are _home_ now _’_ wasn’t said, but it was obvious in implication. Jace-Izzy considers this.

 

In the living room, Raphael’s lips twitch as he settles back to enjoy the show.

 

Alec gestures again at the ichor-box and weapons hooks, clearly disgruntled at their lack of movement. Jace-Izzy pause for one more moment before yawning in unison and sagging a bit at the prospect of disentangling themselves and losing their respective handy, moveable support structures.

 

Finally, under Alec’s expectant stare, the two gracelessly unwind arms and start tugging weapons out of holsters without seeming to care if it’s their own weapon or just the one closest to their wandering hands that they grab. Izzy somehow manages to get Jace’s largest seraph blade caught by the edge of its pommel on a tiny hat hook, so it hangs, swaying, like the sword of Damocles above them. Jace meanwhile tries for the third time to get Izzy’s seraph dagger on the actual blade rack correctly, lips pursed in concentration.

 

Alec beams and makes a happy noise in response, obviously pleased that at least two of his siblings are making forward progress, and turns to Max just as the smallest boy lets out another little snuffle-snore. Alec slumps.

 

Sighing, the eldest brother steps over to the youngest and begins adeptly disarming him and placing Max’s weapons carefully on the nearby racks. In the midst of unbuckling Max's thigh holster, Alec reaches behind him without looking to precisely nudge Jace’s arm so that Izzy’s seraph dagger doesn’t fall to the floor, but is balanced where it belongs. Jace makes a pleased exclamation at his success and Magnus isn’t actually sure if he even noticed Alec’s assistance.

 

Max startles at Alec’s first touch, but Alec murmurs something softly in his ear and the youngest Shadowhunter goes right back into his sleeping while standing pose, moving arms and shifting at Alec’s soft nudges as needed. The ease with which Alec maneuvers around his exhausted little brother, quietly stripping off Max’s ichor-soaked jacket without letting a drop touch any of his brother’s newly bared skin suggests this is far from the first time this has happened. The filthy jacket gets dumped unceremoniously into the shielded bin for Alec to deal with later, right on top of the already discarded leathers from Jace and Izzy.

 

“Boots,” Alec prompts his siblings as he efficiently strips off his own soiled leathers and closes the bin.

 

There are a few moments of failed attempts on Jace and Izzy’s part to bend down and untie laces, each attempt quickly aborted when the drunken tilts almost sway into overbalanced falls. Finally, Jace huffs and gives up, dropping haltingly to the floor in a loose criss-cross to tug off his boots.

 

Izzy and Alec glance at each other and then at Jace, blinking, before deciding that not falling is clearly the better part of valor and joining Jace on the floor. 

 

Alec tugs at Max’s pant leg when he doesn’t move. “ _Boots,_ ” he prompts emphatically.

 

Max, eyes still closed, drops to the floor with all the grace of a two-legged elephant.

 

All boots finally untied and off, the quartet stagger back to their feet, boots in hand. Alec carefully places his own pair under the side-table on the edge farthest from the door, frowning in disquiet before bending down to nudge his left boot so that it’s better aligned with the right boot. Alec nods, pleased.

 

Izzy yawns, again, and hands her pair of boots to Alec for proper under-table placement before taking Jace’s from his hands and holding them out next. Once those are exactingly aligned, Izzy nudges Max’s shoulder. He blindly thrusts his boots out in front of himself and Alec reaches back to take them and set them at the next spot in line.

 

Alec tilts his head and stares consideringly at the row of footwear, not standing back up yet, unhappy with some nebulous aspect he can’t yet put his finger on. After a moment, he tucks the loose laces away into the top of each boot and then switches Jace and Izzy’s pairs so that the four are all in size order. Something is still off.

 

A lightbulb goes off. Alec peers around, clearly searching for something specific and makes a soft, delighted cry of triumph when he discovers Magnus’s favorite pair of house slippers tucked into the corner between the wall and the door. Eagerly grabbing for them, Alec carefully makes a place for the pale pink velvet slippers in the midst of the dirty combat boots, tucking them happily in between his boots and Jace’s. 

 

In the living room, Magnus elbows Catarina much more harshly than she feels is necessary after Cat snorts in amusement.

 

Alec smiles blissfully and, with a last precise nudge to move Max’s left boot tip back into alignment with the rest of the shoes and a quick, loving pat to the velvet of Magnus’s slippers, he nods firmly and stands back up.

 

Stripped of protective gear, weapons, and shoes, Alec’s three siblings cluster in front of him looking like nothing so much as a group of bedraggled children, exhaustion softening their features into something so much younger than usual. The Downworld sometimes forgets how very young most Shadowhunters are, their lives often hard and fast. The childlike appearance is only furthered by Izzy determinedly keeping her right hand behind her back, her attempt at stealth shining a spot light on the odd position. Alec narrows his eyes.

 

“Izzy,” he says, a big brother’s intuition and experience deepening his voice.

 

Izzy blinks at him guilelessly, not saying anything even as she shoves her arm farther behind her back, a child with her hand caught still in the cookie jar.

 

“Izzy,” Alec warns again. “No weapons past the front door.”

 

Izzy pouts, but Alec is unmoved. Sadly, Izzy brings her arm in front of her, the electrum snake twining around her wrist in careful twists. She holds out her arm next to Alec’s racked bow and the snake slithers off her wrist and twines around the quiver until it’s curled in a comfortable spiral. Izzy pats its head consolingly before lowering her arm.

 

Nudging Max into movement, Alec begins herding his little flock of Shadowhunters further into the loft, prodding gently at backs and shoulders to steer them past such hard to see obstacles as tables and walls. Magnus notes that Jace and Izzy’s eyes are both drooping once more and Max has yet to open his again in the first place.

 

When the siblings make it to the living room proper, Alec finally sees Magnus and a broad smile drifts onto his face, his eyes lighting up in sleepy contentment. Alec moves away from his trio of dead on their feet hunters and picks his way across the living room, either not noticing or not acknowledging the presence of anyone else, to stand in front of his boyfriend.

 

“Hey,” he breathes out, blinking happily at Magnus’s face, his grin widening.

 

“Hey to you too,” Magnus returns, a little bemused at the sudden invasion of his loft by punch-drunk and exhausted Lightwoods.

 

Alec doesn’t seem to notice anything off with the situation and leans forward to, presumably, give Magnus a light kiss on the cheek per his typical greeting. Alec misses Magnus’s cheek by a not insubstantial amount, however, and drops a soft peck to the corner of Magnus’s left eyelid instead. Alec doesn’t seem to notice and Magnus pointedly ignores Raphael’s snort of amusement as he smiles up at his boyfriend.

 

Alec doesn’t seem to have anything else to say and continues staring adoringly, and adorably in Cat’s opinion, at Magnus for a few moments longer. Finally, he brings his hand up as though to cup Magnus’s face in his palm. Alec seems to realize he doesn’t have sufficient coordination to continue safely though and instead brushes his fingers lightly over Magnus’s chest-shoulder area before doing an about face and picking his way back to Jace, Izzy, and Max. The trio had all paused in the absence of the directing nudges from their determined shepherd and looked to be falling asleep standing up.

 

Resuming his self-directed herding duties, Alec prods everyone back into movement and guides them forward and through the door to his and Magnus’s bedroom. Lacking enough thought to close any doors behind them, the living room occupants hear the shower start soon after the group disappears into the en suite. Without the door closed, the quiet murmurs of Alec’s voice soon come through clearly enough to distinguish most of the words even over the white noise of falling water.

 

“Pants off, Jace- no, no - keep your underwear on - Izzy, you too. Dress off, under things on.” There's an aggravated noise from Izzy before they hear Alec again. "I know," he soothes, "zippers are hard." A moment later the shower door opens and closes, and it sounds like Alec has shoved two people in under the spray.

 

“Izzy," Alec calls. "There’s ichor in your braid.” There’s no change in the water sounds to indicate any movement to address said issue for several long moments. 

 

Alec finally sighs and changes tactics. “Jace, there’s ichor in Izzy’s braid. The shampoo bottle to your left- no, no, your other left- has enough hellsbane to get ichor out of hair. Max, stay awake.”

 

Catarina raises an eyebrow and turns to face her friend because she knows for an absolute fact he hasn't changed his sandalwood shampoo recipe in over two centuries. “You added _hellsbane_?”

 

Magnus shrugs. “Shadowhunters.” The word is explanation enough. “They get ichor _everywhere_.” He ignores Raphael’s muted snickering and takes another sip of his drink.

 

From the rustling and the muted snuffle-snores coming from his bathroom, Magnus is guessing Alec has given up on getting Max to undress himself and is repeating the scene from the door. A few moments later, they hear the shower open and close one more time and they can’t make out any more words for a bit.

 

“ _Home_ after patrol?” Raphael eventually asks quietly.

 

Magnus’s cheeks warm, but he doesn’t respond and just smiles softly into his cup.

 

The group looks back towards Magnus’s bedroom as they hear the shower door open and close even though the water stays on. A moment later, a briskly towel-dried Alec in dripping wet boxer-briefs strides out of the bathroom and past the door in the direction of the wardrobes on the other side of the bedroom.

 

Catarina leans back on her side of the couch. “Dinner _and_ a show?” She murmurs, sotto voice.

 

A few drawers open and close and Alec trundles back past the open bedroom door and disappears once more into the bathroom, a pile of soft clothing in his arms.

 

The water shuts off and there’s the sound of Alec shoving towels and clothing at his siblings. The quartet shortly comes shuffling back into view and Alec pushes his three siblings to sit on the bench at the foot of Magnus’s bed.

 

Max and Izzy are both comfortably swamped in two of Alec’s faded black T-shirts, but while Max’s shirt has been pulled on over one of Alec’s old pair of work-out shorts, Magnus blinks as he recognizes the hot pink leggings Izzy is wearing as one of his own older pairs, the fabric worn and cozy from use. The corner of Magnus's lips twitch, the sight oddly endearing. 

 

The warlock tilts his head curiously though when he sees that Jace is wearing Alec’s favorite rainy day sweatshirt and it fits him perfectly, even though Alec’s clothing should be too long in the sleeves and too loose across the chest and shoulders. After a moment of thought, however, a delighted grin creeps up on Magnus’s face as he realizes that Alec must have stolen one of Jace’s old sweatshirts for his own when he first started squirreling away various pieces of clothing in the loft.

 

Alec goes back into the bathroom momentarily and returns with one of Magnus’s make-up wipes and a wide-toothed comb for wet hair. He sets the comb on the bed and moves to kneel in front of Izzy, placing a light hand on her chin to tilt her face down towards him. Izzy moves easily at her brother's directions and her eyes are already closed when he gently moves the wipe over her face, raccoon mascara and traces of foundation and blush disappearing under his hands.

 

“I always wondered where he learned to do that,” Magnus whispers softly, a tender look in his gaze as he watches Alec take care of his family.

 

The wipe is quickly discarded and Alec moves to sit cross-legged on the bed behind his sister. Jace and Max look to have fallen asleep sitting up on either side of her. A palm is held on her crown to avoid any tugs and Alec slowly moves the comb through Izzy’s tumble of curls, smoothing the hair down behind him as he goes. The repetitive, almost meditative movements seem to be calming Izzy as her breaths visibly deepen and even out. They seem to be lulling Alec too if the increasingly drooping eyelids are any indication.

 

Hair eventually tamed, Alec finally sets the comb down and deftly divides Izzy’s curls into three equal sections. His movements are obviously swift and well-practiced as a neat braid takes shape under his hands. Alec slips a black elastic that Magnus hadn’t noticed he’d been wearing from his wrist to tie off the end of Izzy’s hair before setting the heavy length down softly on her back.

 

Slipping off the bed, Alec takes the comb and used make-up wipe and moves out of view from the doorway to put them back in the bathroom. Max lets out another snuffle-snore and his head falls onto Izzy’s shoulder. Izzy doesn't react, her breathing still deep and even.

 

Alec comes back into view, stumbling a little bit with his eyes blinking, the earlier exhaustion seemingly returned now that his siblings are mostly asleep, cleaned of blood and ichor and safely under Magnus’s heavy wards with fresh iratzes half-visible behind cozy pajamas.

 

Making his way further up the bed than the bench where his siblings are resting, Alec shuffles the pile of pillows at the head into a cozy rather than decorative arrangement with easy familiarity, turning to push the plush coverlets and sheets as far down the bed as they go. Alec returns to the bench and shakes Jace awake first, pushing him onto the bed and nudging him gently, ignoring Jace’s wordless protests until his parabatai is positioned precisely where Alec wants him- a hair off from center on Alec’s side of the bed. Max is next, heavier pushes necessary since he still refuses to open his eyes, but he ends up nestled happily against his brother, face pressed into Jace’s chest. Izzy gets the far end of Alec’s side of the bed, her head curving over Max’s to press forehead to forehead against Jace with her arm reaching across Max to rest protectively over him, a mirror image of her blonde brother.

 

Alec stands back and peers at the trio, obviously happy with their placement, before pulling the golden top-sheet over them and patting it down lightly, his hands clumsy with sleep.

 

Alec pulls back though, a light frown gracing his features as he ponders the bedscape in front of him. “No Magnus,” he murmurs sadly, before perking up when he clearly remembers that Magnus is indeed home, but is just in the next room.

 

Catarina glances at Magnus softly as his Shadowhunter begins the arduous trek from bedroom to living room.

 

“It appears you are about to be summoned to bed, my friend.”

 

Magnus swallows, blinking his eyes against a light shine of moisture. “It appears so.”

 

Magnus watches his beautiful nephilim make his way across the distance with the careful steps of the truly exhausted. His beautiful nephilim who brought his family _home_ to Magnus’s loft and Magnus’s bed when he was so tired he couldn’t think straight. His beautiful nephilim who has apparently claimed Magnus as one of his little clan and wants him tucked safe and warm with his sister and brother and parabatai before he finally allows himself to let go and sleep.

 

Raphael stands up silently, joining Magnus and Catarina. “I am beginning to _like_ your Shadowhunter.” 

 

Magnus nods, but doesn’t take his eyes off Alexander to face Raphael.

 

When Alec finally arrives in front of the trio in Magnus’s living room, he only has eyes for the warlock in the center. Magnus meets Alec’s tired gaze and Magnus lets his glamour fall. Even through his sleepy haze, the sight makes Alec’s grin turn goofy and adoring.

 

“I love your eyes,” Alec declares, blissfully happy. “And you,” he continues softly, earnestly. “Mostly you.”

 

Magnus blinks harder to clear his eyes from a few droplets of traitorous liquid. “And I love you as well, Alexander.”

 

Magnus snaps his fingers and his sharp, glittering outfit is replaced with the soft, highlighter green match to the pair of leggings Alec placed Izzy in and yet another of Alec’s oversized T-shirts. He takes his make-up off magically because he’s fairly sure Alec is about to drop if he doesn’t actually get into bed soon.

 

In the background he hears Catarina open a portal and usher herself and Raphael through, calling out soft goodnights as they go. Magnus will have to remember to thank them later.

 

Alec keeps his gaze on Magnus and the warlock is both charmed and amused as Alec blinks up at him softly for a few more moments before bringing his arm up gently to Magnus's shoulder, or, at least, the vague direction of Magnus’s shoulder. Alec does his best to keep his gaze locked on Magnus while nudging him in the direction of the bed. Magnus laughs tearily and and takes Alec’s hand instead, letting his nephilim guide him where he will.

 

When they reach the bed, Alec releases Magnus’s hand and prompts his lover to climb in under the sheets on what is apparently going to be _their_ side of the bed tonight. The warlock shuffles himself backward obediently at Alec’s prompting until his back hits Jace’s. Alec smiles and Magnus watches as his Shadowhunter finally gets into the bed himself. The nephilim adjusts his position until he’s curled up against Magnus, face tucked securely against his neck and lips resting lightly on his collarbone. Alec's arm is moved to lay over Magnus’s waist, the tips of his fingers just brushing against his parabatai's back.

 

“Good night, Alexander,” Magnus whispers softly. He gestures lightly to turn off the lamps and pull the coverlet up over the sheets, blanketing the five of them under its comfortable weight.

 

Alec is asleep before the blanket settles.

 

 


	2. The Afternoon After the Night Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This universe just won't leave me alone and the lovely folks of the Malec Discord have convinced me to go ahead and post this chapter (which will eventually be Chapter Three in this universe) now instead of waiting to finish Chapter Two. ❤️There are a few references to things that are currently being written for the second chapter, The Morning After the Night Before, but this addition is pretty close to stand alone, so I thought I'd add to the available fluff for this upcoming quarantine weekend. 
> 
> I'll alter the chapter order when the morning scenes are finished. Stay safe everyone!

With Alec in his shower, Izzy in the guest room en suite, and Max happily ensconced on his balcony doing _something_ with this morning’s band of stray cats, Magnus expects Jace to make himself scarce from where Magnus has claimed a corner of the living room couch to send a few fire messages canceling his afternoon clients. Magnus is also considering whether or not to post the gorgeous close-up he’d taken of a particularly intricate section of Izzy’s braids to his Instagram. The way the light is shining off the different angles of the smooth twists in the photo is mesmerizing, even without using any of the filters Magnus secretly loves.

 

To the warlock’s surprise, Jace instead chooses to settle himself unceremoniously on the other arm of the couch, plopping down and drawing a short blade from a wrist sheath, plain steel and not a seraph blade Magnus notes bemusedly.

 

He blinks in confusion though as the Shadowhunter reaches into the decorative bowl of stones on the side table, memories Magnus has collected from various trips over the years. His brows raise when Jace pulls out a whetstone that Magnus _definitely_ doesn’t remember including in the mix. Thinking back to Alec sitting there sharpening his own blades on occasion, however, Magnus snorts in somewhat amused, if belated, realization. _Shadowhunters._

 

Jace focuses on the smooth, repetitive movements that will eventually hone his dagger into a lethal edge, evidently content to remain in silence. Magnus shrugs and turns back to his own tasks.

 

The quiet remains comfortable, broken only by the soft ember-crackles of fire messages being sent and the eventual taps of Magnus’s fingers on his phone screen as he decides that the braid photo is too lovely not to share. He makes sure to tag the delightful Ms. Lightwood before putting his phone down and turning his attention back to the blonde Shadowhunter sharing the couch with him.

 

With serendipitous timing, Jace is holding his blade up and turning it back and forth in a muted beam of sunlight streaming in from the curtained windows. The edge evidently passes his inspection because Jace slips it back into the empty sheath. He also puts the whetstone back in the bowl on his side-table Magnus notes fondly, the tool now apparently a permanent addition to his decor.

 

He’s loathe to break the oddly peaceful mood between them, and it appears Jace feels similarly as his boyfriend’s parabatai doesn’t move from his spot on the couch now that his hands are empty. Instead, Jace turns his mismatched eyes to Magnus.

 

There’s something indeterminable lurking in the blonde’s gaze that makes Magnus think Jace is debating whether or not to say something. The warlock stays quiet, hoping that it will prompt the other to speak whatever’s on his mind, a tactic he’s found to work more often than not on Alec.

 

Jace takes in a steadying breath after several long moments and breaks the silence.

 

“Is there something we can talk about, Magnus?”

 

Magnus blinks at the typically taciturn Shadowhunter.

 

“What?” He says eventually, less an answer to the younger man’s question and more a statement of his own general confusion.

 

Jace’s face isn’t flushing exactly at the warlock’s response, but Magnus reads his discomfort easily in the way Jace’s muscles tense and then purposefully relax as he barrels forward with customary nephilim bluntness.

 

(Magnus has become sadly used to customary nephilim bluntness and both loves it and hates it. On one hand, great for knowing how your partner feels. On the other, _terrible_ for flirting.)

 

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” Jace rephrases. “I - I’d like to get to know you better. More than just fighting together.”

 

Magnus blinks again. Now Jace is definitely flushing, but he maintains eye contact with Magnus anyways and refuses to look away.

 

Magnus sorts through his immediate thoughts, eventually settling on an idea as to where this is coming from.

 

“Jace, not that I _don’t_ want to speak with you, but is this about my relationship with Alec?”

 

Jace nods in agreement, but doesn’t clarify. A glimmer of a possibility occurs to Magnus and he feels his chest tighten in dread. Everything has been going so well, almost too well his panicked mind throws out, a thousand times he’s been blindsided in the past by lovers suddenly leaving him without word - he stops. Forces himself to breathe.

 

Magnus doesn’t hold for those outside a relationship butting in where they can’t possibly understand, but he feels that rule may need a revision if said outsider is _soul-bonded_ to one-half of the pair in question.

 

“Is- is there something concerning you about our relationship?” Magnus ventures hesitantly.

 

“What? No,” Jace responds, startled. He sits up straighter in mild alarm as if he can sense Magnus’ sudden nerves. “No, no - that’s not at all what I - I didn’t mean-” Jace stops his frantic backtracking to regroup for a second. “That’s not at all what I was trying to say, I promise. Alec has never been happier, it’s just-” Jace trails off uncertainly, still staring at Magnus.

 

He starts to say something and stops a few times, obviously searching for the words to continue. “It’s just, Alec has _never_ been happier,” Jace eventually repeats plaintively as though repetition alone is enough to make Magnus understand.

 

(Magnus feels like he should be earning a _degree_ in interpreting vague nephilim statements at this point.)

 

“I love your brother more than I have words to express,” Magnus puts out, still uncertain. “I’m glad that he’s happy and that you can feel that, but are you nervous that this will change something between the two of you?”

 

Magnus doesn’t know how the parabatai bond functions in truth, but he knows how deeply and utterly Alec loves his siblings. There is _nothing_ that Magnus could say or do to change that, nor would he ever want to do so. If he’s somehow given Jace, or Edom forbid, _Alec,_ the impression that he disapproves of the bond between the Lightwood siblings…

 

But Jace just relaxes back into the cushions at his response, apparently perfectly fine again now that Magnus realizes Jace isn’t trying to question his relationship with Alec.

 

“No. I’m not worried about that at all.” And it’s Magnus’ turn to release sudden tension from his muscles. He’d never want to come between Alec and his parabatai, unintentional or not.

 

Jace tilts his head. “Do you mind if I’m blunt, Magnus?”

 

Magnus boggles a little internally. Jace wasn’t being blunt _before_?

 

“Please.” He nods in affirmation nevertheless, a little curious about what a nephilim apparently considers a blunt conversation.

 

Jace’s lips turn up in a small smile. “Nephilim love once and love fiercely, Magnus, and you’re it for Alec. He loves you in a way he’ll never love anyone else for as long as he lives, and he’ll stay with you for as long as he has breath in his body.”

 

Magnus’ eyes widen and he almost chokes on his tongue in shock. Right. Okay. Earth-shattering truths dropped casually into conversation. _Blunt._

 

“I know Alec has told you that before, and I hope you know that he means it.”

 

Magnus blinks a little frantically, his heart beating a drum cadence in his chest. Alec _has_ told him, yes, but it’s one thing to hear promises of eternal love whispered into your skin in the midnight quiet and another thing _entirely_ to hear your partner’s brother casually repeat that promise as though it’s an absolute, unshakeable truth. As though it’s as obvious as the sun rising in the East and setting in the West.

 

Jace continues speaking, either not noticing or not acknowledging Magnus’ sudden inability to breathe correctly. “Alec loves you as deeply as it’s possible to love another person, Magnus, and he’s my _parabatai_. I love him, and he’s in love with you.” Jace shrugs. “So, I’d like to get to know you better.”

 

Magnus takes a moment to remember how to put air in his lungs, staring wide-eyed at the blonde nephilim sitting innocently in front of him.

 

After several long moments, Magnus finally addresses a question to the patiently waiting Jace, unsure if he’ll answer it. “Does - does Alec loving me influence _you_ because of your bond?” 

 

The parabatai bond, as well known as it is to anyone connected with the Shadow world, is also shrouded in mystery. It’s the highest weapon of the angels, revered by the nephilim and both feared and wondered at by the Downworld. Combining souls, linking two individuals as one, is never done lightly, and the effects it has on the parabatai themselves are rarely mentioned aloud - something almost sacred about the bond staying any silent questions. Even Magnus, connected as he is to one half of a parabatai pair, has never questioned Alec about his link with Jace. Although, the way Jace is talking?

 

Well, Magnus wonders.

 

Jace considers Magnus’ question with a seriousness that the blond Shadowhunter rarely allows when discussing anything hinting of emotions. “Somewhat,” he eventually answers, more of a question than a statement.

 

Jace turns himself fully on the couch to face Magnus, and the warlock finds himself unable to turn away. “Alec loves you with every piece of his soul, Magnus, and the two of us are parabatai - part of his soul is in me and it loves you too. Does that mean _I’m_ in love with you?” Jace shakes his head in negation. “No, but,” and here Jace pauses, consideringly.

 

He purses his lips for a moment, clearly contemplating how best to explain himself. When Jace comes to a decision as to how to proceed, it’s obvious in the way he braces himself slightly, imperceptible to anyone who isn’t intimately familiar with the body language of someone almost _more_ difficult to read than Jace himself. Magnus, having dedicated himself to figuring out how to read _Alec_ these past many months, notices.

 

“Did you know that until Alec met you I thought that that the parabatai rune was supposed to ache? Not to hurt precisely, but to always be _present,_ always be _felt_ in a way that would never be described as neutral?”

 

Magnus blinks at the seeming non-sequitur.

 

Jace tilts his head and the smile on his lips could be described as bittersweet at best. “Alec was thirteen when we bonded, and from long before the moment our souls were shared he was desperately unhappy, resigned to living the life our parents determined for him because there was no other choice, no way out for him. He’d never be able to protect me, or Izzy, or Max if he was de-runed, never mind the fact that most Shadowhunters die within a month of being exiled from the protection of the Clave.” Jace draws in a heavy breath, “ _That_ was never something he cared about.”

 

Magnus’ chest pangs at the thought. He remembers the balcony of course. He’ll never forget Alec dropping from that ledge with only Magnus’ magic to catch him, but he also thinks about the small things he’s noticed over the months they’ve been dating. He thinks about the spider-web of scars on Alec’s knuckles and the large patch of shiny skin on his inner arm, right where a bowstring would bite into unprotected flesh without a guard. No, losing the Clave’s protection would never be Alec’s concern if he was de-runed.

 

Jace continues after a beat of shared understanding.“There were times he was happy of course, moments when I could feel that through the bond. Alec raised us, especially Max and Izzy, more than Robert and Maryse ever did, and sometimes it felt like he _lived_ for us too.”

 

Jace grins in remembrance. “The first time Izzy kicked Hodge’s ass wearing the five inch stilettos he and Maryse had been frowning at all day? I started laughing and I wasn’t even _in the room._ But joy? Hope?”

 

Jace shakes his head and reaches over to place a gentle hand on top of Magnus’ own where it’s gripping almost painfully into the leg closest to the blonde.

 

“That was you, Magnus. _You_ gave him that for the first time in his life. Our rune hasn’t ached since you gave him the joy of loving you, the hope of a future where he wouldn’t just be surviving until we were capable of protecting ourselves.” Magnus swallows harshly at the implications of that statement.

 

“How could I not come to love you when the most important piece of my soul, _Alec’s_ piece, is _in_ love with you? When every _other_ part my soul is so amazingly and desperately grateful for the joy and hope and love you’ve given my parabatai?”

 

There’s a sharp warmth behind Magnus’ eyes and he knows that it’s with his true form that he stares in shock at the painfully honest man before him. For all Jace’s aloof nonchalance in public, Magnus knows from Alec that Jace has never used that defense around his siblings. This talk, this pouring out of raw, honest truth without any semblance of prevarication makes it clearer than any other action Jace could have taken that he’s decided to include Magnus in that tiny cluster.

 

Alec was the first person to make Magnus lose control of his glamour in over three centuries, and it seems fitting that his parabatai is the second. Magnus’ breath shudders in his chest, but Jace keeps going.

 

“For whither thou goest, I will go, and where thy lodgest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God.”

 

Magnus has seen the parabatai oath written before of course, but he’s never heard it spoken like Jace has just done. He’s never heard it from the lips of one who has sworn that oath to another, and it feels weighty and solemn in a manner he hadn’t expected a nephilim promise to manage.

 

Jace’s hand changes position, gripping Magnus’ hand instead of just resting upon it. “Alec has pledged himself to you, even if the two of you haven’t said the words yet, Magnus. You are his people, and so you are my people.”

 

Magnus blinks, hard, chasing back a glimmer of wetness he refuses to let coalesce into tears, and Jace is kind enough to look away for a moment to give the warlock a chance to collect himself.

 

Magnus’ mind whirls in an attempt to make sense of this unfathomable bond of love and devotion that he’s somehow found himself a part of, and his memory catches suddenly on the peculiar note in Jace’s voice when he’d repeated part of that oath, _where thy lodgest I will lodge._ Magnus freezes for a moment and thinks back.

 

The warlock thinks back to the way Jace had instantly relaxed in Magnus’ bed this morning once Alec had confirmed where they were, melting back into the sheets in a way that neither Max nor Izzy had managed. He remembers the way that Alec had tightened his grip around Magnus when he’d noticed, smiling into the back of his neck with a contented grin that the stoic Shadowhunter saved for his happiest moments. He remembers the way Jace froze, just enough for Magnus to notice, when Magnus had unthinkingly tossed a ‘mi casa es su casa’ at him when Jace had gone to set the table for breakfast that morning.

 

“Jace,” Magnus murmurs, keeping a hold of Jace’s hand to make sure he catches the blonde’s reaction. “How are you and Alec dealing with him living here instead of at the Institute?”

 

And if Magnus hadn’t had a hold of Jace’s wrist he would never have noticed the single instant of perfect stillness before his boyfriend’s parabatai forced himself to relax. Jace opens his mouth, but Magnus stills him with a raised brow. “Please don’t lie to me.”

 

Jace’s silence is answer enough.

 

Magnus pauses for a moment, making sure the choice he’s just made is one he’s sure of, no matter how quickly he’s made it. He thinks back on the calm surety though, the absolute _certainty_ when Jace claimed Magnus as _his_ people too, and he knows he’s made the right decision. Magnus may not literally share his soul with Alec the way Jace does, may not be able to actually feel Alec’s love for his parabatai, but how can Magnus _not_ love in some way the person who loves his Alexander _this_ much?

 

Magnus raises his hand and a sparkle of blue fire ignites in his palm. Jace doesn’t so much as twitch as it flickers over him, sinking into his skin wherever it lands. (And if Magnus still marvels at that, he doesn’t let it show. Shadowhunters have killed his kind for less in the past.) Jace merely tilts his head in mute question, but he doesn’t so much as move his hand from where it’s still intwined with Magnus’ own.

 

“A passkey through my wards,” Magnus answers, continuing before Jace can respond in an intentional echo of Jace’s earlier words. “You are his, and so you shall be mine. Wheresoever I lodge, wheresoever _we_ lodge, you will _always_ be welcome.”

 

Jace swallows thickly, his eyes widening in initial surprise before he blinks rapidly, eventually clenching his eyes shut against the same tears Magnus had been fighting a few moments earlier.

 

Magnus flashes back to what he’s learned of Jace’s past, picturing that young Shadowhunter raised by Valentine, never knowing love until the Lightwoods claimed him as theirs and still not expecting kindness from anyone who doesn’t call him a sibling.

 

Magnus raises his free hand to cup the back of Jace’s neck, pulling him slowly forward until they sit pressed forehead to forehead in his living room, both fighting against tears. Jace’s harsh, uneven breathing is the only sound until the door to Magnus’ bedroom creeps open and Alec slips into the living room.

 

Jace’s eyes remain closed, he doesn’t have to look to know who just entered, but Magnus turns his head slightly to glance at his partner. The shower in the guest room is still a comforting white noise in the background and the balcony door remains closed, so the three of them are alone in this quiet bubble.

 

A hand hovering over his rune, hidden though it is by his shirt, tells Magnus how Alec knew to come find them, and the wandering, loving gaze Alec flickers between Magnus and Jace tells the warlock that whatever Alec can feel through the rune, he knows something significant has just taken place.

 

When Jace finally turns to his brother after several long moments of stillness and opens his eyes, Magnus can’t see if the shimmer of wetness is still there, but Jace’s hand grips even tighter to Magnus as he opens his mouth to address Alec.

 

“Thy people are my people, parabatai,” and Jace has to pause to swallow against the roughness in his voice,“and where thou lodgest I will lodge.”

 

Magnus doesn’t understand how Alec grasps what that means without any other explanation, but the gaze he turns to the warlock, wide and shocked and so immensely grateful it makes Magnus heart _hurt,_ tells him Alec understood perfectly.

 

Magnus knows Jace has no intention of leaving the Institute, but being welcomed formally into what is rapidly becoming both Alec and Magnus’ home clearly means something indescribable to both nephilim.

 

Alec strides forward and sinks onto his knees in between the two of them on the rug in front of the couch, and Magnus can’t stand the solemnity and he refuses to cry, _again,_ because of these stupidly young and loving and _devoted_ nephilim.

 

“I didn’t realize that the two of you were buy one get one free, Alexander.”

 

And if Alec’s resultant laugh is a little wet as he bends down to press a reverent forehead to Magnus’ knee where he and Jace’s hands are still linked? Well, Magnus can ignore that because both his and Jace’s are too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the chapter note! ❤️

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story in the fandom and I'm so excited to post it! I've been having some awesome comment conversations with some amazing writers (looking at y'all CheerfullyCynical, alxndrlightwoods, SuperficialPeasant, and MonPetitTresor), and it inspired me to start writing again. I haven't written in years and I forgot until recently how much I enjoyed it. Thank you all for the inspiration!
> 
> Also, this fic got much sappier than I had anticipated. In the beginning I had actually planned on ending this with a joke from Magnus about this not being how he had expected to end up in bed with four other people. Clearly, soft Malec got away from me and said no.
> 
>  
> 
> ❤️Kudos make me happy, but comments make my day! ❤️


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